No Resolutions - Just a Saying

Last year my mantra, or words to live by was "Do Less Better".  It was a very effective way to keep me focused on what mattered and to make me slow down enough to enjoy life.  Everytime I felt rushed or life was overwhelming I would say to myself 'do less better'.  It really worked.

I have been trying to think of one for this year that is as effective.

It's hard, as my mind has been clouded by Mr K and I working on the principals for our business - 3 or 4 key words that we can share with our staff as their words to live at work by.

The three we have so far are :

Simple
Efficient
Accurate

But when it comes to my own personal one, I am a little stumped.  I said I would make 2013 the Year of Writing, but that is not a mantra. 

But then I saw the post-it note on my monitor and it said 'Show, Don't Tell' and I knew that was it.  This is a writing term that makes you use your words to show what you want to say, not spoon feed the reader.  So more description, more visualisartion, more care with every word.

For my blog, this could also mean taking more pictures which will make my photography better.

It also can stand for my life outside writing.  Show the people I love how much I care instead of just telling them.  Show my staff how things should be done, don't tell.  In other words, lead by actions not just words.

So, in this Year Of Writing I will Show not tell.

Staff camping weekend

Well of course I ended up enjoying it!  Always, it's the same.  Anxiety, trepidation, worry - all wasted emotions as when I got there it was all fine.  What did help, a lot, was busying myself taking the photo's.

It was tiring, hard physical work at times, some parts a bit uncomfortable - all totally over ridden by great company, a laugh, some fun, good food, good drink, awesome views.  There are lots of stories to tell but for now I think I will let the pictures say the 1000 words...

Mr K - pretty pleased that we had set up camp and he finally had a beer in hand

Young tech who scored a 'day off' on Friday to help set up camp! He too was pretty pleased with the fact he worked out how to put his tent up!

The camp before the entire team arrived.  The tarps were a nightmare to put up - only 3 of us and a gale force wind!

The moonscape where the camp spot is - in the lee of a sand dune.  The other side of the dune is pristine ocean

The genny - gave us light and powered the fridges - who says we 'rough' it

The old lady 'princess' of the camp.  She was not amused here that she had been put down on the sand.  She did the rounds of everyones lap.

Tom Dog - he waits for his love ... waiting ...waiting

Great white fishermen .... just as well we had steak and chops for dinner as we sure didn't get any fish

The Team - with only a few missing

A boy and a dog ... priceless

Awwww puppy love.  This is Tom Dogs girl.

Love the colours

Magical


 

Pumping up the tyres and a sad and weary goodbye ... well until work tomorrow anyway!

My new camera and I

Well she arrived last week and I have been trying to love her as a mother should.  But its hard. She scares me with all her fancy buttons and big black lens.  Mr K and Son#1 have taken a shine to her and click her buttons and twiddle her dials, but I still am not sure what they all do or mean.  So she has been set to Auto for the moment while we get aquainted.

 
These are a few of my first shots and son #1 showed me a really cool feature when you right click on the photo and go to properties.  It gives you all the settings that were used to take that photo.  This is going to help me so much as I can now see cause and effect.  So, correct me if I am wrong (as I quite possibly could be) - the first picture below had an aperture opening of 4.5 (the F.Stop) This was quite a small opening (as per the chart below) and therefore the depth of field was narrow which is what you want for close up nature photography.  I let the camera work out the shutter speed (or exposure time) and the very confusing ISO speed, to compensate.  The ISO is confusing as I have been told it is a reference to the old days of film photography - it was the type of actual film and how it stored the images.  Today, in digital photography, it still has an effect but I am yet to learn how!

Baby steps :-)

Now to translate all this so Ms Nikon and I speak the same language.

The coolest thing I have learnt how to do so far!

The Effect of the FStop (Exposure)



The close-up that I wanted. 

Some other experiments ...

Need to learn better composition but I like the balance

 

 

I liked the form and colour.  (oh and I did enjoy the contents too!)

 

The first attempt at the top picture .. this was on full Auto

I am going to go for a drive this weekend and take the camera and have a play.  Its actually quite exciting to be learning a whole new craft.

Photography .. baby steps

I know nothing about photography, except I know when I like a really great photo.  The subject is like a very dark science to me and when I have asked some experienced (and some hobby ones) photographers about the 'basics' they launch into enthusiastic talk about exposure and ISO and f-stops and triangles and the rule of 3 and I nod and smile like I know exactly what the hell they are talking about and to myself think this all sounds like an algebra or science class to me and my mind glazes over.  I normally give up at this point and decide that photography is another thing that I just can't do, like be a size 0 model, or a rock star, or a princess.

But never a quitter, I very quietly decided that I would try and teach myself the really basic, basics of taking a good photograph.  I thought reading the Dummies Guide to Photography would be a good place to start, but even that was a bit advanced.  So I went online and searched in google - 'the really dumb persons beginning photography lessons' -  and I found this website - 13 Lessons to Teach Your Child About Digital Photography Here.  By lesson 4 I was lost! 

Rather than embarrass myself further, I took our little Panasonic Lumix and began experimenting.  I did not worry about anything technical, but just played about with the automatic settings and light and angles.  I have been looking closely at pictures I like and trying to understand what it is I like about them, then trying to copy these.  I can see its going to be a LONG journey, but I have time and I have started.

Now, I dont want what I have to say next to be taken as me being at all ungrateful - but Mr K has gone ahead and ordered me a DSLR (and I think I know what that stands for, so I am learning a bit!) as a surprise present and its terrifying me.  Next week I will have in my trembling little hand this

 

and I feel all my family/friends will be expecting amazing and wonderful photos.  I am not very good with technology at all, give me a pile of compost anyday, or some chooks, or orphan lambs and I will be in my element.  But a big, scary, complex thing like this

and I am a mess.  I think I will open the box and just look at it for a while.  Just let it get to know me.  Move about it slowly, not putting any pressure on it, but letting it come to me when it feels safe and is ready.  It works for nervous horses, so why not a camera?  Right? 

Wonder if I will ever get to be a Nikon Whisperer?

PS: If any of you ARE adept with your camera's you might like this website Mr K found for me.  I LIKE this guy ALOT ... he says ...

"Women are better photographers than men as a whole because women worry about their pictures, and not about their cameras. Men spend lifetimes researching and talking about cameras, which does nothing to advance their photography"

Ken Rockwell Photographer

Isn't that always the case?  Men worry about their equipment and women worry about how they look?

PPS: Mr K?  Thank you ... I think :-)

Spring and Photography

Happy, Sunshiny First Day of Spring Everybody!!

Even though its a little overcast here in Perth, it still feels like spring - there is a balmy breeze and a hint of summer in the air.

Spring always reminds me of my Dad's saying ..

 

Spring is Sprung

 

The Grass has ris'

 

I wonder where the

 

Birdies is?

 

 

My garden is a pretty bad state, having been neglected the whole of winter.  As most things are in pots (in preparation for moving to Wattle Grove - 3 years ago!) plants don't do very well and need a lot more TLC.

Going to have an overhaul of the whole garden this Spring and while I am doing that I will use it as a subject to develop my photography skills.

BIG learning curve ahead of me as I am (a) not very artistic  (b) not at all photogenic myself and (c) clueless when it comes to this whole subject.  But we all have to start somewhere and this is where I start to learn and experiment about the art of taking better photo's.